FutureGen Clean Coal Plant May Get New Life

Wired notes that the FutureGen clean coal plant, which had been shuttered in part due to perceived cost overruns (which were a result of bad math), may rise again. The plant is intended to demonstrate carbon capture and storage at levels and costs that would encourage other power plants to follow suit.

On Friday the Department of Energy issued a press release indicating it had reached an agreement with the FutureGen Alliance (the private part of this public-private partnership). The agreement would allow the project to move forward with needed planning, research, and design activities, with a final decision on building the plant in early 2010. Most of the DOE contribution will come from Recovery Act funds.